Israeli holidaymakers in north unfazed by Hezbollah threats

'Hezbollah will not ruin our holiday plans' says a resident of central Israel who intends to vacation near the Lebanon border with his children despite terror group's failed infiltration attempt; hotels report no cancellations

Attila Somfalvi, Iris Lifshitz Kliger|
Israeli holidaymakers traveling north from all around the country on Tuesday remained unfazed by the Lebanese terror group's attempt to infiltrate Israel a day earlier.
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  • On Monday the IDF troops thwarted an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah when a cell of four advanced several meters into Israeli territory before fleeing back. The troops opened fire, including artillery, at the cell in the Har Dov region, also known as Shebaa Farms. The attack appeared to have been in response to the killing of a Hezbollah fighter in an Israeli raid in Syria last week.
    4 View gallery
    Off road family tours on the Golan Heights
    Off road family tours on the Golan Heights
    Off-road family tours on the Golan Heights
    (Photo: Raz Biton)
    Roads were closed to civilian traffic and local residents were asked to remain in their homes for two hours before the army announced the all-clear.
    "Not only have we not had any cancelations, but we are also still getting calls asking to reserve rooms," said the person in charge of the reservations desk at Ortal, a kibbutz on the Golan Heights. "In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find an available room before October."
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    Sap surfing  on the Jordan River
    Sap surfing  on the Jordan River
    Sap surfing on the Jordan River
    (Photo: Indi Park)
    Arye, a resident of central Israel who intends to vacation in Kfar Blum in the Upper Galilee close to the Lebanon border, told Ynet he has no plans of canceling the family's trip.
    "Hezbollah will not take away our last option for a holiday, now that we are no longer able to travel abroad, travel inside Israel is all we have left," he said, adding that him and his wife intend to take their two children and head up north for a time-off.
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    The pool at the Snir boutique hotel
    The pool at the Snir boutique hotel
    The pool at the Snir boutique hotel
    (Photo: Snir Boutique Hotel)
    "We hesitated for one brief moment when we heard of the security incident but quickly reverted to our existing plans after we heard that businesses were reopened quickly and the thought of disappointing our kids, after they have been cooped up indoors for so long, was impossible."
    Aryeh said he had a hard time booking a table at a restaurant in the area where he's travelling. "We are all well versed in living with security concerns," he said.
    Michal Davidowitz was vacationing with her family in the village of Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights when she heard about the cross-border incident. "We called the girls in from the pool and waited a few minutes to figure out what was going on. Our host came up with a tray of sweets while we waited, though we had no intention of cutting our holiday short."
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    תקיפת צה"ל בלבנון
    תקיפת צה"ל בלבנון
    IDF shells Lebanon after an infiltration attempt Monday
    (Photo: EPA)
    Netta, who manages a boutique hotel in the north, said she too had not received cancelations. "Summer months are very busy for us," she said.
    In fact, a quick search for available rooms for the coming weekend yielded no results as Israelis continue to flock to the area.
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